February 21, 2014 8:07pm ESTFebruary 21, 2014 7:50pm ESTPrior to Thursday's trade, the Bobcats had one major concern, and that was outside shooting. In acquiring Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour, Charlotte gets two players who shoot it at a decent percentage. More important, they get a willing shooter in Neal.Gary Neal(AP Photo)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour have not been in Charlotte for one full day, but Bobcats coach Steve Clifford can already imagine which roles each will fill.

Neither player is allowed to participate with the Bobcats until Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien — the players for whom they were traded — report to the Milwaukee Bucks, so Chris Douglas-Roberts and Jannero Pargo will play in their place in the interim. Still, the presence of Neal and Ridnour represents Charlotte's attempt to address a need.

Prior to Thursday's trade, the Bobcats had one major concern, and that was outside shooting. In acquiring Neal and Ridnour, Charlotte gets two players who shoot it at a decent percentage. More important, they get a willing shooter in Neal.

"If you're guarding a guy like Gary, who's such a good range shooter, your help position is going to be a little different than if he's an 18-foot jump shooter," Clifford said.

While Sessions was a proficient shooter overall, he didn't exactly put up the volume needed to have an effect on a team's outside shooting. He is shooting just 22.1 percent from 3-point range this season, but that's partly because he only attempted 1.2 shots per game from beyond the arc.

The same goes for current shooting guard Gerald Henderson, who came into the season with an eye on being better from 3-point range. He does maintain a 31.4 percent shooting average from 3, but Henderson is more a midrange shooter.

Through his first three NBA seasons, Henderson attempted only 102 3-pointers. He nearly matched that last season with 100 attempts. And while his 70 attempts this season put him on pace to set a career high, it's not nearly enough to put a dent in a team's style of play.

On the other hand, Neal's existence as an NBA player is based on his role as a designated shooter. In 2010-11, Neal attempted 308 shots from 3 in his first season with the San Antonio Spurs alone. This season, that number sat at 111 attempts through 30 games before he was traded to Charlotte.

Neal's percentage has been down from previous seasons, but even in a slump he has shot at 36.0 percent from 3, and he is a career 39.3 percent shooter.

Of the players who receive regular minutes in Charlotte, only Josh McRoberts, Anthony Tolliver and Kemba Walker are close to that. And Walker is an obvious step above McRoberts and Tolliver in importance to the Bobcats' future.

Each player maintains attempts in a similar range as Neal's 3.7 per game, with McRoberts and Tolliver both at 3.5 per game entering Friday. Walker is the only outlier at 4.5 attempts.

One point that needs to be made is that guard Ben Gordon, who reportedly is in buyout talks with the Bobcats, was previously considered a candidate for this role. Gordon was expected to be a later-game scorer and outside threat. That never materialized.

That said, the threat of a solid shooter who is willing to pull the trigger at any moment can still work wonders for an offense. Clifford mentioned that factor when discussing how the trade can benefit Walker and center Al Jefferson.

"I would think they both would (benefit), and I think also Kemba," said Clifford of the effect of Neal's shooting. "In his pick-and-roll game, one or two steps, these guys are so quick, that's all he needs."